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Reviewers Rating

1 review done for this album.

A sad, strange movie with a score to match

By:

LadyInque

Date:

5 Jan 2009

Rating:

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events is a fantasy movie (or a just plain weird one) about three children whose parents are killed. The orphans are sent to live with a succession of guardians, who range from the ineffectual to the downright dangerous. It’s a sad movie, but with moments of adventure and dark humor, and the score reflects that.
The sadness is shown in tracks like “Resilience” and “The Letter that Never Came.” While much of the music is sad, it also has a creepy vibe to it (that’s the celeste for you), which I like. It keeps the score from getting maudlin. The adventure and whimsy are best shown in tracks like “The Reptile Room.” (“The Wide Window” is essentially the same thing.) “Attack of the Hook-Handed Man” is about as action-driven as it gets. “Puttanesca” is pleasant, though I don’t think it’s real fun.
There are two odd tracks on this album. One is “Loverly Spring,” which I think was written as a direct parody of “Let’s Sing a Gay Little Spring Song” from the soundtrack to Disney’s Bambi. A slice of “Loverly Spring” also opens this album and is part of a fake-out opening sequence, which is a scene from an unrelated (fake) movie called The Littlest Elf. The cloying sweetness is a total joke, as close listening to the lyrics will show. The other weirdo is “The Marvelous Marriage,” which is a virtuoso accordion piece and a highlight of the album. Don’t let its short length discourage you. Maybe I’m biased because my dad played the accordion, but I think this track is a gem.
I think many people who own this score bought it for the end title, “Drive Away.” They were right to do so, and there’s a reason why this is a favorite. It has an entrancing, Indian sound. This is hinted at in the rest of the album, but this particular track very much stands alone. It was very effective when paired with the visuals of the end sequence, and conveys a sense of danger and strangeness. Very cool.If you’re not sure what to request, I recommend “The Marvelous Marriage,” “The Reptile Room,” and “Drive Away,” though the other tracks mentioned above are also good. However, I would avoid “An Unpleasant Incident Involving a Train.” It gets played a lot because it’s long, but it’s ultimately a boring track that by no means shows off what this score has to offer.